Definitions
(noun)
fork; branch; bifurcation
(noun)
girl
Etymology
Pictograph of a forked tree.
About
The character "丫" originated as a pictograph depicting a forked object, such as a tree branch splitting into two. Its structure remains a simple abstraction of this shape. This core meaning of a bifurcation extended to objects like the forked frame of a slingshot. Over time, the character acquired a metaphorical usage in reference to people; due to the visual resemblance of a forked hairstyle, particularly the twin buns worn by young girls in historical times, "丫" came to denote a young maid or servant girl. This meaning persists in words like "丫鬟". Its traditional counterpart, "椏", which incorporates the tree radical, is specifically used for the botanical sense of a branch or fork. In modern usage, "丫" retains both the concrete sense of something forked and its colloquial application as a noun for a girl, often in a casual or diminutive manner.
Example Sentences Hide
那个丫头很聪明。
丫环在打扫房间。
树上的枝丫很多。
他的脚丫子很大。
小姑娘扎着丫髻。
这棵树的丫杈很奇特。
丫环们正在厨房里忙碌。
她小时候是个调皮的小丫头。